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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800270">Beside the Bearded Barley</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothinglikeacuppa/pseuds/nothinglikeacuppa'>nothinglikeacuppa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Silver Moon's Sparkling (Kiss Me) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TWICE (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, Duchess Yoo Jeongyeon, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Mentions of BTS - Freeform, Princess Im Nayeon, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Yoo Jeongyeon is whipped for Im Nayeon, and i'm talking, regardless of what universe they're in</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:36:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,284</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26800270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothinglikeacuppa/pseuds/nothinglikeacuppa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“How about we go to our favourite place?” Nayeon suggested, her lilting voice quiet in Jeongyeon’s ear, as she had tugged their (still connected) hands in the direction of the barley fields just west of the palace, where the full moon was at its brightest and the stars were their clearest. Jeongyeon couldn’t bring herself to speak, afraid the lump in her throat might make her sound like a frog. She had simply nodded before Nayeon’s lips pulled into a small grin, chocolate eyes alight with tiny universes. </p>
<p>If that was the reaction she’d get by saying yes, Jeongyeon would say yes to Im Nayeon forever. </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Silver Moon's Sparkling (Kiss Me) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Beside the Bearded Barley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this small upcoming series is something a little bit different from what I would normally write. It's a small selection of three stand-alone fics that each link together. </p>
<p>It's based on the song 'Kiss Me' by Sixpence None The Richer and each fic is based on a different verse in which Jeongyeon and Nayeon exist in different universes and are hopelessly in love in some way, shape or form.</p>
<p>I really hope you enjoy it!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   If there was one thing Jeongyeon hated, it was balls. There was just something about them that irked her. Maybe it was the days beforehand where her handmaidens would pamper her, bathing her in milk and honey and feeding her only the finest fruits in the land. Or, perhaps, it was the men that would stalk you until you danced with them. They’d flatter you and offer you champagne, practically kissing your feet until you say one thing they disagree with and then finally leave. </p>
<p>   What did make them bearable, however, was Im Nayeon.</p>
<p>   The princess spent the majority of the ball sitting beside the king, watching the crowd dance and converse, sometimes getting up to mingle with dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies, thanking them for coming before making her way back. Jeongyeon knew her well enough by now that she only does so to humour her father. If Nayeon had it her way, they’d be in her chambers laughing over how badly Madame Kim played the lyre that day or strolling through the palace gardens, just spending time together, until the guards called them in for dinner. Though the possibility of that happening at that moment in time was slim, Jeongyeon noted, as she watched the princess’ bored eyes roam the ballroom. </p>
<p>   Every now and then though, their eyes would meet and Nayeon would smile - genuine and bright, all bunny teeth on display for only Jeongyeon to see. Oh, how the butterflies in her stomach went crazy at that smile. Flittering and fluttering along to the rhythm of her heartbeat, an unknown melody that only she knew. </p>
<p>   Those pesky butterflies liked to get her at the most inconvenient of times too. Sometimes, when the pair were cuddled up in Nayeon’s chambers - the elder’s head on her chest - they’d wake from their slumber to dance around her stomach and Jeongyeon’s heartbeat would speed up <em>just a little bit</em>. If Nayeon heard or felt anything, she never mentioned it. She just carried on tracing patterns on the smooth skin of Jeongyeon’s stomach or palms, acting as though the younger wasn’t going through a crisis beneath her. Other times, the butterflies would erupt when Nayeon’s hand brushed past hers, soft fingers barely touching but it’s not like they cared. Even if they knew Nayeon would probably never feel the same, they fluttered their useless dance anyway. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>   Caught up in her thoughts, Jeongyeon almost missed the gentle touch on her shoulder. Before her, stood the very girl she’d spent the whole night thinking of. <em> God, was she beautiful</em>.</p>
<p>   “Come with me,” she whispered. Hand travelling to clutch Jeonyeon’s before half-dragging her towards the golden doors of freedom. </p>
<p>   Eventually, they managed to successfully sneak out of the crowded ballroom, even after Nayeon’s horrid attempt at persuading the guards to not tell her father. Lucking Jeongguk and Namjoon weren’t tattletales like the rest of them and pinky promised to keep their lips sealed. </p>
<p>   At the knowledge of the guards keeping their absence a secret, the two girls set off through the endless hallways towards the gardens. Running hand in hand; the sound of heels clip-clopping against the tiled floors. It was moments like this that Jeongyeon wishes she could freeze time. Maybe in another life, someone has created a way to paint pictures instantly. She would like that a lot. That way, she would be able to capture the joy on Nayeon’s face as she dashed through marble corridors; dainty coiffed locks that the wind had swept behind her ears and tiara askew; their hands clasped together, a perfect fit; that darn bunny grin that illuminated her face. Jeongyeon couldn’t help but fall deeper and deeper in love. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>   After what seemed like an eternity of twisting and turning through corridor after corridor, the pair burst into the palace gardens. The air was crisper there compared to the stuffy ballroom. The sounds of music were muffled by marble and stone and the two were <em>finally </em>alone. </p>
<p>   “How about we go to our favourite place?” Nayeon suggested, her lilting voice quiet in Jeongyeon’s ear, as she had tugged their (still connected) hands in the direction of the barley fields just west of the palace, where the full moon was at its brightest and the stars were their clearest. Jeongyeon couldn’t bring herself to speak, afraid the lump in her throat might make her sound like a frog. She had simply nodded before Nayeon’s lips pulled into a small grin, chocolate eyes alight with tiny universes. </p>
<p>   If <em>that </em>was the reaction she’d get by saying yes, Jeongyeon would say yes to Im Nayeon forever. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>   The walk to the barley fields was almost silent, murmurs only shared every now and then or quiet giggles over how they actually managed to escape that godforsaken ball. There were fleeting moments where eyes met and time slowed down for a millisecond. Moments when they would get the tiniest bit closer, hands still intertwined. Moments that Jeongyeon indulged herself in, just for a second letting herself believe that they had a chance. Stupid little fleeting moments that lasted a lifetime in her mind, replaying over and over before her eyes just before she falls asleep. </p>
<p>   ‘Maybe in another life,’ she pondered as her hand squeezed Nayeon’s a little bit tighter, ‘we could be. A life where she would love me back and we could love each other freely.’</p>
<p> </p>
<p>   Often deep in her thoughts, Jeongyeon missed the gentle gaze the elder sent her way. Like then, as the young girl debated the possibilities of there being an alternate universe where they shared a life together, Nayeon looked at her like she’d hung the moon and stars in the sky. If she had quickly looked away when Jeongyeon turned to her, focusing on the rose bushes they walk beside instead of her best friend, no one else had to know. The scarlet petals mocked her enough as it is, calling her a coward and perhaps they were right. Though the thumping in her chest when Jeongyeon smiled and the flutter in her stomach when they touched told her otherwise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>   The barley field at twilight was something else. In a world where the two girls felt they didn’t belong, under the moon’s silvery gleam they could pretend - just for a minute - that they did. It’s why they ventured to lie in the dried up wagon tracks, hiding from royal life and from responsibility; basking in each other's presence as they pointed out constellations and told stories of old. </p>
<p>   Nayeon had practically dragged Jeongyeon to their favourite spot on the field: the far right end, where an oak tree towered over the crops and provided a nice dry patch of land for them to sit and not get their gowns covered in soil and fertilizer. The moonlight hit the area <em>just right</em> and, when Jeongyeon puffed out her dress and plopped herself down - getting comfortable on the rough terrain - it ignited her face a twinkling blue. Nayeon, however, had other plans. Tearing off her kitten heels and letting bare feet touch the grass, she tapped the younger on the shoulder shouting, “you’re it!” before pelting off towards the wagon tracks, trying her best to not trip over her skirt or squash any crops.</p>
<p>   Jeongyeon didn't get the chance to get up and tag Nayeon back before she was halfway down the field doing a small little jig mockingly.</p>
<p>   “Catch me if you can, Jeongie!” she giggled before turning around and running once again. </p>
<p>   </p>
<p>   The pair must have spent almost an hour dashing from corner to corner, yelling “tag” whenever they finally caught the other. It may have been tiresome, but goodness gracious the freedom it brought. Feeling the earth beneath your feet as your heart swells, beating faster and faster as they approach, hands extended and giggling. </p>
<p>   “Come on, unnie. You can’t be done yet, possibly?” Jeongyeon taunted when the other almost keeled over, laughing too hard and breathing unevenly with a stitch in her side. “I didn’t think you were so old you couldn’t handle a bit of running!”</p>
<p>   She was halfway through doing a little victory dance, believing she had won their seemingly endless game of tag when Nayeon sprinted towards her as fast as she can - using up what little strength she had left to barge into the unsuspecting Jeongyeon, sending the two of them flying onto the grass. A tumble of silk and lace and cotton, all soft pinks and navy blues. Flailing limbs intertwined as they tried to find the floor, resulting in Nayeon being pinned beneath Jeongyeon, only a hair’s breadth between their faces. When the world finally stopped spinning, their eyes interlocked as their breath mingled together - heavy, anxious, so aware of the <em>‘what if?’</em> it sent Jeongyeon into a panic. She practically leapt off of Nayeon who was frozen in place blinking, choosing to lie beside her instead. A way to ground herself. </p>
<p>   Silence stretched across the barley field. It’s only when the elder’s heaving breathing switched to muffled laughter that Jeongyeon let herself breathe. A shaky exhale that morphed into unrestrained giggling. The kind that lights up the world. Making the stars look brighter and show the millions of universes that surround our tiny planet. The sound of their chortling spread through their hearts like warmth on a summer’s day, creating a kind of happiness you could only read about. The kind of laughter that sounds like falling in love.</p>
<p>   Only when their snickering slowed to quiet chuckles did Nayeon announce her glee:</p>
<p>   “Heavens above, I’m so happy I could kiss someone!”</p>
<p>   And maybe it was the butterflies in her stomach and the silvery twilight and the way Nayeon looked gazing up at the endless night that made Jeongyeon whisper her response. Bravery taking over her body before the fear could settle in her bones. A quiet murmur of, “So why don’t you kiss me?” escaped from her lips and spoke themself into existence. </p>
<p>  Why Nayeon did not laugh, Jeongyeon will never know. But, as she had slowly turned her head towards the younger with a soft smile gracing her lips, she thinks that maybe there was a reason. Perhaps it was all meant to happen like this. Perhaps the stars above them had aligned to give them their happy ending after all.</p>
<p>   She nodded, slowly and cautiously and a little bit jittery, but it was nodding nonetheless and Jeongyeon’s heart collapsed in on itself. Happiness in its purest form ignited her body like parchment to a flame. That feeling right there, <em> that </em> is what she has longed for since the day she realised she loved Nayeon. A feeling she never thought she’d have the liberty of experiencing was the same feeling that coursed through her blood like oxygen.</p>
<p>   The elder was hovering above her before Jeongyeon’s brain could process what was happening. A slender hand reached up to caress her cheek and Nayeon chuckled at how warm it felt beneath her icy fingertips. A small sigh escaped Jeongyeon’s lips. The kind that releases all the pent up air in your lungs and makes you feel like you’re floating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>   When Nayeon finally leant in, Jeongyeon couldn’t help herself. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and pressed their lips together.</p>
<p>   Maybe time stopped when their lips met halfway, or maybe it was just the two of them frozen as the world around them carried on spinning. Pent up butterflies escaping their cages in their stomach and burst into the twilight. It was the planets aligning and everything falling into place in a simple kiss. She could only focus on how soft Nayeon felt against her mouth, how she tasted of strawberries and champagne and <em>home </em>all mixed into one. </p>
<p>   It still wasn’t clear if she'd dreamt this moment to life, but there was raw emotion in the way Nayeon’s fingers curled on her nape. Jeongyeon’s hands finally awoke at that, reaching to clutch at the elder’s waist, pulling her closer, closer, closer until they were a mess of limbs on the cool grass. </p>
<p>   They pulled apart, eyes half-closed and air knocked out of their chests, and a comfortable silence covered them like a blanket. Nayeon’s eyes were gazing into hers for what seemed like the first time and Jeongyeon could <em>see</em> it. She could finally see the love they shared. Her unrequited feelings not being as unrequited as she thought and she smiled. My god, did she smile. Every ounce of love she had ever had for Nayeon poured out through that smile and Nayeon did the same. Head shaking as the final puzzle piece was fit and they could finally see the bigger picture.</p>
<p>   Perhaps it was too early for ‘I love you’s’ but the way Nayeon’s eyes glittered with galaxies as she looked at Jeongyeon spoke a thousand words. Nothing needed to be said when she pressed their lips together once more, chasing that feeling that she had longed for for far too long. The way their lips moulded together articulated everything they would ever need to know - that there was a place for them in a world like this.</p>
<p>   In the quiet of the barley field, beneath the moon and the stars, they belonged <em>together</em>. Sharing stolen kisses and whispering about how long they’ve waited to do so. Holding back from returning to the palace and the place where they have to pretend. As delicate fingers traced patterns into palms and brushed away stray hairs, tucking them behind ears, Nayeon and Jeongyeon fell in love. </p>
<p>   In their tiny forever under the stars, in that bearded barley field, they let themselves exist in their entirety without any restraint for the first time. And they did so together.</p>
<p>   Always together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS!!!</p>
<p>I hope you enjoyed reading the copious amount of fluff just as much as I enjoyed writing it. </p>
<p>If you want to see more, my Twitter is @galactaecal. I hope you come and say hi! Your interaction means the absolute world.</p>
<p>I hope you have a lovely rest of your day. Thank you again!!! Much love!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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